UNITED NATIONS, August 20 (RIA Novosti) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the disruption of the most recent temporary ceasefire in Gaza.
“[Ban Ki-moon] condemns in the strongest terms the breach of the Egyptian brokered humanitarian ceasefire which was to expire at midnight local time,” the statement by the UN chief said Tuesday adding that Ban “is gravely disappointed by the return to hostilities.”
Ban's statement reminded “both sides of their responsibility not to let the situation escalate.”
The fragile truce in the Gaza Strip came to an end on Tuesday as several rockets launched by Palestinian rebels landed in the Jewish State. Two of them were intercepted in the air; another one damaged a café in the city of Ashkelon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later ordered the army to retaliate with airstrikes on Gaza and instructed the Israeli delegation in Cairo to return to Israel as the negotiations with the Palestinians over the Gaza truce had collapsed.
In a statement on Tuesday, the UN Chief urged the two sides to address the urgent issues seeking an immediate understanding.
“[Ban] calls on the delegations to live up to this expectation and urges the parties to reach an immediate understanding on a durable ceasefire which also addresses the underlying issues afflicting Gaza,” the Secretary-General stressed.
